EU enlargement scheme unveiled as VDL reveals plan to 'complete' EU in major speech

She told the European Parliament: "In a world where some are trying to pick off countries one by one, we cannot afford to leave our fellow Europeans behind.

"In a world where size and weight matters, it is clearly in our interests to complete our union.

"But beyond the politics and geopolitics of it, we need to picture what is at stake.

"We need to set out a vision for successful enlargement - a union complete with over 500 million people living in a free democratic and prosperous union.

"A union complete with young people who can live study and work in complete freedom. A union complete with vibrant democracies."

Von der Leyen delivered her SOTEU speech in Brussels this morning.

It was her final SOTEU of her first term as Commission president.

Despite the 2024 European Parliament elections coming up fast, it is not yet known whether Von der Leyen will stand for re-election.

It has long been known that the EU is eyeing up geographical expansion, with eight recognised candidates for membership: Turkey, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Moldova, Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, earlier this month said that Ukraine and the Western Balkans need to gain EU member status "quickly".

Speaking at a meeting of foreign ministers in Spain, he said: "The Spanish presidency is proposing … to hold a ministerial meeting together with the Western Balkans ministers.

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"We will do it at the end of next month."

He added: "The issue of enlargement has been floating over our discussions.

"Ukraine has to become a member of the European Union. The Western Balkans also. Quickly."